SRJC offers a broad array of occupational certificate
programs that provide a course of study preparing students directly for
employment or self-employment upon completion of the program. Most certificate
programs are developed through the collaboration of SRJC faculty and industry
leaders and employers who sit on Advisory Committees for the occupational
disciplines. There are two types of certificates recognized by the College:
Certificates of Achievement and Skills Certificates.

Santa Rosa Junior College is committed to maintaining the
academic rigor and relevance of its occupational curriculum. Each occupational
program has an employer advisory committee to provide occupational outlook
information and give input to the curriculum, ensuring that students are
learning the skills needed by industry. Whether the student is exploring career
choices following high school, considering a major career move, or seeking new
skills for advancement, a wide variety of training options are available
through these certificate programs.

The following certificates are available at Santa Rosa Junior
College. This is an alphabetical listing of all currently active certificates.
Please use the Advanced Search
feature to locate certificates that have been inactivated or
to refine your search by department, keyword, or number of units.

Certificates of Achievement:

Certificates of Achievement are programs of study consisting of 18
units or more that provide extensive preparation in the designated field. They
are intended to certify that students who have successfully completed the
program are prepared to enter the careers associated with their chosen
certificate. They usually take at least one to two years to complete. In
addition to local approval, these programs must also be endorsed by the Bay Area
Occupational Planning Committee and receive approval from the
California Community College Chancellor's Office. Prior to the 2008-2009 Catalog,
Certificates of Achievement were designated as Career Certificates.

Skills Certificates:

In addition to Certificate of Achievement programs of study, the
College also offers many programs resulting in the award of Skills Certificates.
These certificates are under 18
units, and, while the local development and approval process is rigorous, they
do not require approval by the state Chancellor's Office. These certificates
are designed to provide the student with a brief but intense course of study in
a particular area, so that he or she may develop specific skills or prepare for
an entry-level position in the field. Successful completion of these programs
also may certify that students are prepared with a particular set of skills,
such as the job entry skills leading to a full Certificate of Achievement program, or
skills to upgrade or advance in an existing career. These programs often
provide advancement on a "career ladder," and are therefore of shorter duration
and narrower in scope than the Certificate of Achievement programs to which they may
lead. Prior to the 2006-2007 Catalog, Skills Certificates were designated
as Completion Certificates or Competency Certificates. Prior to the 2008-2009 Catalog,
Skills Certificates were designated as Achievement Certificates.

Certificate Coursework and Prerequisites/Advisories:

Courses in a certificate program may have prerequisites or
advisories; that is, courses that must or should be completed before taking
that course. Please check for prerequisites or advisories by clicking on the
courses in the Program Requirements section of the certificate.

In addition, the reading and writing or mathematics level
required for beginning certificate coursework and/or successful completion
varies from program to program. Courses in a program may have a specific level
of English or Math as either a prerequisite or recommendation (click on the
course to find out more). Placement tests to help you determine you English or
Math level are free and offered on a regular basis by the Assessment Office
(527-4661).

If an English or Math course is a prerequisite to a
course, you can seek to meet the prerequisite by:

Taking a placement test to validate that your English or Math level meets or
exceeds the requirement

Enroll in and successfully complete the prerequisite English or Math class before
enrolling in the course

Successfully challenging the prerequisite (please contact the department for
details)

If an English or Math course is recommended, it is
considered an advisory, not a requirement. Advisories give an accurate
indication of the skill level needed to do well in the program. Take these
advisories seriously!

Certificate Requirements and Previous Coursework or
Experience:

If you believe that you have already fulfilled a certificate
requirement or course prerequisite through previous coursework or prior
experience, please contact the program coordinator or a counselor for
assistance.

The Certificate of Achievement and the Major (degree program):

Degree programs are often available for many occupational
fields that also have a Certificate of Achievement program. Students in occupational
programs are strongly encouraged to obtain an Associate Degree. This can be
done by selecting a major related to the certificate program, or by pursuing a
more general major, such as Humanities, Natural Sciences, Social and Behavioral
Sciences, or University Transfer. To be awarded an Associate Degree, a student
must complete the requirements of the major, as well as other
degree requirements.

A student who has completed a certificate program may be
awarded the Associate Degree in a later semester providing all major and degree
requirements are met.

The Certificate of Achievement and Selection Processes:

Some programs - particularly in the Health Sciences or Public
Safety fields - may have a selection process for entering students. Please
contact the department or a counselor for information about the selection
process for any such program.

Coursework Requirements and the Certificate:

No course may be used more than once to fulfill a requirement
in the certificate. Generally stated, a requirement in a certificate is:

a designated course (e.g., NRM 15)

a defined combination of courses (e.g., NRM 2.1 and NRM 2.2)

a set number of units that can be fulfilled from a list of courses (e.g., "3
units in any combination from the following: NRM 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 22, 56")

Term Effective and the Certificate:

The requirements for a certificate are effective beginning
the semester shown for each certificate. Students who began working on the
approved certificate before the effective semester may not be affected
by the changes because they have catalog rights. Students should consult with
the program contact person, department chair, or a counselor to determine their
eligibility to complete the certificate under previous requirements.

Catalog Rights:

Requirements for a certificate are determined according to
the catalog in effect at the time of initial enrollment. In order to maintain
catalog rights, a student must be in continuous enrollment; that is, enrollment
in at least one credit course during each successive academic year.

For the purpose of catalog rights, the academic year begins
each fall and ends with the subsequent summer session. When a break in
enrollment occurs, certificate requirements are determined according to the
catalog in effect when continuous enrollment is resumed.